1. Describe the stasis in the play: where, when, who, what, etc. in a paragraph. This piece takes place from 1966-1980's in California. Brenda is the main character and it jumps from Westside L.A. to San Francisco and back. It starts off as she is a 13 year old in her father's pharmacy and then explains her teens years until adulthood. 2. What is the intrusion? The intrusion is when Brenda is eating pork with Kali and she falls in love with him. They kiss and after that, the story of their love begins to unravel until high school and so on.
3. What is the unique factor? The unique factor is that this is the day that Brenda decides to narrate the story of her life.
4. What is the dramatic question that should be answered by the end of the play? The dramatic question is wether or not she will ever live happily ever after with Kali? Will she ever leave the Westside and create a better future?
5. Provide an illustration of the two kinds of exposition that the play has in it.
One example of exposition is on the characters. Brenda knows Kali because she knows his mother. Kali's best friend is Smoke and they are both cooking the pork. This is known at the beginning of the play. Another example of exposition is the setting of the play. She is a Asian-American girl that has a very mixed family which she is very proud of. She is in Westside L.A. which is a poorer side of town.
6. Identify the most theatrical moment in the play and of what importance it seems to be. The most theatrical moment in the play is the last scene were there is the fight between Smoke and Kali. This scene has great symbolism like the roses in the garden and has the most action. The gun fight ends in death which is a surprising end to the story.
7. List some of the themes of the play. Family, Gang relations, education, racism, language, traditions, love, poverty, urban life,
8. What does the narrator want and what are some obstacles that stand in the way of her getting what she wants? Brenda wants to have go to college and have a successful career. She has a fight with herself because she doesn't finish college and has to try very hard to work with the troubled kids in high school. She has a fight with others because her family does not want her to leave them in their hometown. They want Brenda to stay with them but she wants to leave the poor area. She has problems with society because she does not care about the two gangs fighting nor picking a side. She has a fight with fate because she never ends up being happy with Kali. They always end up breaking up and at the very end he dies in the gunfight.
9. Describe some possible images in the play and how does the title help us understand the play.
One image of the play is the teacup that Hai leaves Brenda. She says that it is the last gift she got from her sister back home and when she moves away from San Franciso, she gives it to Brenda. It symbolizes a close-knit friendship that was created. Another image is the roses at the end of the gunfight scene presents all the blood that was shed at that time. Her garden was drenched in blood and it directly correlates with the title. The Aunt is a character in the play that introduces Brenda to Kali and ends up with her at the very end. The title gives us a clue about the play but doesn't make much sense until the end.
10. Briefly define the family relationships that are examined in the play.
Brenda has an okay relationship with her family. At first, she helped them a lot with the her dad's pharmacy as she grew up. But once she wants to move in with Hai in San Francisco, they shun her and do not approve of her. They later welcome her back into the family and she stays with them for awhile. Hai and her family are shown their her teacup set but she is a far from her family. Kali's mom is important at the beginning and the end of the play. One could also say that his gang brothers are like a family to him.
This piece takes place from 1966-1980's in California. Brenda is the main character and it jumps from Westside L.A. to San Francisco and back. It starts off as she is a 13 year old in her father's pharmacy and then explains her teens years until adulthood.
2. What is the intrusion?
The intrusion is when Brenda is eating pork with Kali and she falls in love with him. They kiss and after that, the story of their love begins to unravel until high school and so on.
3. What is the unique factor?
The unique factor is that this is the day that Brenda decides to narrate the story of her life.
4. What is the dramatic question that should be answered by the end of the play?
The dramatic question is wether or not she will ever live happily ever after with Kali? Will she ever leave the Westside and create a better future?
5. Provide an illustration of the two kinds of exposition that the play has in it.
One example of exposition is on the characters. Brenda knows Kali because she knows his mother. Kali's best friend is Smoke and they are both cooking the pork. This is known at the beginning of the play. Another example of exposition is the setting of the play. She is a Asian-American girl that has a very mixed family which she is very proud of. She is in Westside L.A. which is a poorer side of town.
6. Identify the most theatrical moment in the play and of what importance it seems to be.
The most theatrical moment in the play is the last scene were there is the fight between Smoke and Kali. This scene has great symbolism like the roses in the garden and has the most action. The gun fight ends in death which is a surprising end to the story.
7. List some of the themes of the play.
Family, Gang relations, education, racism, language, traditions, love, poverty, urban life,
8. What does the narrator want and what are some obstacles that stand in the way of her getting what she wants?
Brenda wants to have go to college and have a successful career. She has a fight with herself because she doesn't finish college and has to try very hard to work with the troubled kids in high school. She has a fight with others because her family does not want her to leave them in their hometown. They want Brenda to stay with them but she wants to leave the poor area. She has problems with society because she does not care about the two gangs fighting nor picking a side. She has a fight with fate because she never ends up being happy with Kali. They always end up breaking up and at the very end he dies in the gunfight.
9. Describe some possible images in the play and how does the title help us understand the play.
One image of the play is the teacup that Hai leaves Brenda. She says that it is the last gift she got from her sister back home and when she moves away from San Franciso, she gives it to Brenda. It symbolizes a close-knit friendship that was created. Another image is the roses at the end of the gunfight scene presents all the blood that was shed at that time. Her garden was drenched in blood and it directly correlates with the title. The Aunt is a character in the play that introduces Brenda to Kali and ends up with her at the very end. The title gives us a clue about the play but doesn't make much sense until the end.
10. Briefly define the family relationships that are examined in the play.
Brenda has an okay relationship with her family. At first, she helped them a lot with the her dad's pharmacy as she grew up. But once she wants to move in with Hai in San Francisco, they shun her and do not approve of her. They later welcome her back into the family and she stays with them for awhile. Hai and her family are shown their her teacup set but she is a far from her family. Kali's mom is important at the beginning and the end of the play. One could also say that his gang brothers are like a family to him.